Moving Forward
by Apocalypsefantasy
Summary: After the Promise Day and their return to Resembol, Ed, Al, Winry and the rest of the Fullmetal gang have two years unaccounted for this is my series of oneshots telling what happened between then and the scene at the train station.
1. Which Way

Author's Note: Just a plot bunny running rapid. Not really romance but a fluffy moment between Ed and Winry.

Disclaimer: The only thing of Fullmetal Alchemist I own is an Edward Elric plushy.

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><p>Moving Forward<p>

Chapter 1 Which Way

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><p>Six years, no more like sixteen years. The change had been so abrupt; only this morning she'd been worrying and they'd been fighting, and now, though she still worried, she no longer was worrying about their immanent death as they were both within arm's length, sleeping as if the last six years had never happened.<p>

The promised tears of joy still clinging to her lashes Winry Rockbell smiled fondly at the two Elrics; Edward's stomach showing and mouth hanging slightly open, Alphonse frail and child-like curled up peacefully in a tight ball. Each had claimed a couch to conquer, for once Al beating his brother's record time for losing consciousness. Naturally his big brother Ed had fetched him a blanket from the hall closet before following his little brother's example. Having neglected to retrieve a blanket for himself, Winry brought one out for him, draping it over the boy before heading to the kitchen.

Since the boys had left home, and even more so since meeting Gracia Hughes, Winry had developed the habit of baking when worried, so it wasn't entirely luck that she had made several pies on The Promised Day and continued to when no one had bothered to call with news of Ed and Al afterwards. Both boys had been lovingly chewed out for keeping her in the dark for over two weeks, but in light of the situation not even the fiery Rockbell had the heart to use her wrench. Once Winry had released them from her greeting embrace she made good on her promise of pie for Al and insisted tomorrow she'd make knish. Considering how much pie she'd made it wasn't a surprise that for once Winry was grateful Ed ate so much and didn't even comment on Al breaking his brother's speed eating record, they cleaned out the pie after all, so she kept her remarks to herself, carefully filing them away for later use.

Calmly the girl went about cleaning up the remains of their entirely pie-based meal, washing off plates and scrubbing out pie tins in a state of utter bliss. For all her assurances that they _would_ without a doubt get their bodies back, she had been a lot more worried than she let on and a lot more relieved than she should have been.

Perhaps that was because a small part of her, one which had been getting larger the deeper into the government conspiracy the brother got, had never expected Ed and Al to come back, after all her parents hadn't. But the Elrics were different she'd always known that and the proof was clear as day sleeping on her couch.

Her now prune-like fingers fumbled for the faucet, lessening the flow to an ill regular drip she knew would stop on its own soon enough. It seemed to her as if the sun had finally come out from behind several years' worth of clouds, Ed and Al were alive and they were home all in one or rather two pieces. Drying her hands on the dish towel Winry headed toward her workroom, unlike the brothers she knew full well she'd never be able to sleep just then if she tried, might as well get some work down if she was going to be up anyway.

As she passed the living room her heart nearly stopped and the dripping of the sink grew very loud to her heightened senses. The couch was empty, vacant of any signs Edward had ever been there. For a single illogical moment Winry thought she'd imagined their homecoming before she let herself register the soft even breathing of the slumbering Al. Winry deliberately took a breath forcing herself to look for a rational explanation, the open patio door offered an obvious one.

"Hey," she called softly out the doorway to the blond on the steps.

"Couldn't sleep." He said shortly anticipating her question without turning around.

"Well that's a first," She teased, trying to lighten the mood, Ed's posture screamed of meaningful thoughts, when he didn't bite she changed tactics. "Okay what's on your mind Ed, you have that look?" Though she probably could have guessed by the way he was staring at his newly flesh and blood arm; as if he could unravel al the world's mysteries if he just looked hard enough.

Ed's eyes burned with frustration, "Ya know Winry," he said absently, "I've been so focused on getting our bodies back and the whole conspiracy with the homunculi I never really thought about what I'd do after. The only reason I joined the military in the first place was to find the philosopher's stone and now that I can't use alchemy I couldn't go back if I wanted to."

Joining him in staring at his hands she whispered a worry she had been harboring for years, "Would you, want to go back I mean."

His answer wasn't instantaneous but it hasn't hesitant either, "No, even if I still had my alchemy I wouldn't go back." Winry didn't show her relief only nodded in understanding, sensing he still had something else he wanted to say. "It's weird though, I'm so used to worrying that now that it's all over I'm worrying about not having anything to worry about." He gave a dry laugh.

"It's not that weird." She whispered with conviction, leaning back on her hands so as to avoid the intense gaze of the Elric beside her, "You've had a purpose for the last six years," sneaking a glance at Ed Winry noticed that for once the young alchemist was paying rapt attention to her every word, "and even before that really." The subtle reference to their failed attempt at human transmutation didn't make Ed blanch as it once would have. "It would be weird if you didn't feel a little lost after all that."

With a soft smile Winry turned her head to meet Edward's gaze which was blazing with knowledge as they always did when he was trying to make sense of a situation. Blue eyes lost in gold, gold lost in blue, each searching for their own answers in the other.

Ed was the first to break contact; Winry the first to speak. "Maybe, for right now you don't look at things long term, let everyone in central worry about the big picture. For now you can just look at things one moment at a time."

"Yeah, you're probably right."

Winry nearly fell over in surprise, Ed grabbing her elbow to keep her from colliding with the porch rail. "I am?" Ed gave her a look as if maybe she had hit her head after all, "I mean, you usually don't agree with me that easily, that's all."

Blushing slightly Ed turned away with a huff, "Normally I have a reason not to." He grumbled. For reasons unknown to the girl beside him Ed's face was reddening at a certain memory of a certain lieutenant saying a certain thing about certain feelings he may or may not have about his mechanic. Looking for any distraction other than mentally reciting the periodic table, which had failed before when it came to undesirable thoughts of Winry, Ed randomly asked, "When are you going back to Rush Valley?"

Winry stopped trying to lean around Edward to get a look at his face, "What do you mean?"

This topic of conversation was much more comfortable and easy for Ed to get a handle on, "with the homunculi gone you're not in danger of being taken hostage anymore so…" he shrugged letting Winry take the sentence where she would.

"I don't think I'm going back." She played with her hands nervously where they rested in her lap.

"But what about your training?" Edward nearly shouted as he stumbled over an appropriate response.

"Finished." Ed shut up immediately, "Before I went up north with Kimbly to meet you Garfiel said there wasn't anything more he could teach me." Pride shown through in her words obviously she was making an effort to stay humble made easier by the knowledge that she had been stupid enough at that time to willingly walk into a trap.

"Oh." All plausible responses flew from Ed's mind, "Congratulations?" Winry giggled at Ed's face, which looked as if someone had told him that the homunculi had all been an elaborate April Fool's joke.

"Why the face?" She puffed up as his expression turned from dumbfounded to incredulous. "Is it so shocking that I could finish my training early Edward?" She dared him to answer with her eyes.

Flustered and fearful of the unseen wrench he knew was there Ed stuttered an explanation, shaking his head furiously and waving his hands to ward off attack or misunderstanding. "No, no, of course not, it's just that-I thought-I mean-it's not like you can learn everything, you're not just done improving your automail right?" His right hand automatically came up to scratch the back of his head in nervous habit.

Instead of lobbing a wrench at him Winry laughed outright, "Ed, just because I'm not an apprentice anymore doesn't mean I'm going to stop studying and perfecting my work. You didn't when you left Ms. Izumi right. Mr. Garfiel just felt that I'd learned everything I could from him and thinks I'm ready to go out on my own and get more practical experience."

"Oh, right…I knew that." His hand came back down and he grinned sheepishly. "So you're going to open your own practice then?"

She shrugged, "Eventually, but there's no rush, Mr. Garfiel said that he would give me a recommendation whenever I want. He also said that I should-" abruptly Winry cut off with a blush as she remembered what her old teacher had implied she should do specifically regarding the blond former-alchemist.

"Uh…Winry? You in there?" Ed's waving hand before her face snapped the mechanic back to reality.

"Oh just that I should take a break and relax that's all." She explained frantically, a tiny bead of sweet condensing at her temple. They lapsed into a slightly awkward companionable silence. Neither would have been able to tell how long they sat there looking at the sky of Resembol. "I was thinking I'd stay here for a while." Winry's whisper seemed very loud in the night's quiet. "Granny could use my help around here, and it'll be nice to spend some time at home." She was careful to omit the other reason, affiliated directly with Ed she had for remaining in their home town.

There was another shorter lapse of silence, broken this time by Edward's heavy sigh. "Sounds like a plan, I could use some down time." Edward Elric and Winry Rockbell sat together like that until morning, both of them smiling like idiots on the inside.

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><p>I might end up turning this into a series of one-shots centering around the Resembol family and Ed and Winry as a couple, I'm not sure though so help me decide by leaving me a review(;<p> 


	2. The Meaning of Home

Disclaimer: Fullmetal Alchemist nor Edward Elric belong to me in any way, if I did Winry would kick Ed's ass _way _more often.

Author's note: Due to the encouragement of all those who reviewed or PMed me, plus the random sparks of FMA related inspirations I have decided to continue with this series of oneshots, changes have been made to the format of the first chapter for consistency's sake. More from me after the chapter.

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><p>Moving Forward<p>

Chapter 2 The Meaning of Home

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><p>Sighing Edward Elric looked up from his surroundings at the whining sound to his left, allowing Den to burrow her head under his hand for an ear rub. In the six years since he'd burned down his home and left determined not to look back Resembol hadn't changed. It was the same rural speck in the east it has always been; full of grass and sun and fields, everything he remembered from his childhood, everything that for him defined home. Yet despite the nostalgia of every breath in took in Ed couldn't shake the feeling that he hadn't come <em>home <em>just yet, something besides the presence of the house he grew up in was missing, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The homunculi were gone, Al had been restored, and they were back in their hometown with Granny Pinako and Winry, in Ed's mind a perfect existence. So then why was he so restless? He wished he knew the answer. The conscious decision to stay in Resembol for a while had been made and Edward Elric stuck to his decisions, he had no regrets about that. Yet he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that something was, not really wrong, but…off. As if there was something he had forgotten.

Out of habit Ed's left hand came up from scratching Den's ears to clutch his right arm, instead of the hard metal of lovingly created automail he half expected to be there Ed was met with soft yielding flesh. Idly he thought up a training program to get his restored arm to same fitness as the rest of his body, the planning hardly took two seconds.

Boredom and anxiety prompted Ed to rise and stretch, and Den to yawn in protest as his leaning post was taken away. "Coming Den?" The Elric called as he walked off with his hands in his pockets. Happily the dog followed tail wagging as e trotted after the blond.

Without his consciously directing them Ed's feet carried him around Resembol, over a hill and past a wooden gate, before Ed even realized he had a destination he was standing before two stone slabs one slightly worn from age and another new and freshly craved. "So you came back after all, huh, ya bastard?" he said to the newer headstone. "Sure are a shitty dad." A small tug at the corner of his mouth.

In the high afternoon sun of the east Edward Elric talked to his parents, for the moment ignoring the feeling of something missing. For an atheist, he sure did talk to dead people a lot.

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><p>"Den?" Called the blue eyed mechanic from the front porch, hands cupping her mouth to amplify the sound. "Den?" There was no answer from her three legged friend. "That's odd," she said to herself, fists on her waist in mild irritation. "Hey Al, have you seen Den?" she called to the Elric in her kitchen.<p>

"Not since this morning." Al returned, head inside the fridge and arms laden with its contents. "Do we have any more pie?"

Winry rolled her eyes at the boy's appetite but said nothing except "Nope, you cleaned them out yesterday." Her eyebrows knit together when no defensive comment sounded from upstairs or the couch. "Huh, Al you haven't seen Ed have you?" she asked as she drifted back to save some food from Alphonse's greedy stomach before he ate their dinner.

"Maybe he's with Den." Al shrugged, a club of sausage slipping from the pile in his arms.

Reflexively Winry caught the falling meat stick, tapping it back and forth between her hands, "It's getting late though, maybe I should go look for them." She suggested, worrying the interior of her check.

"Good luck." Without looking at her Al grabbed a glass of milk and downed it in two gulps.

Eye twitching Winry turned on the teen, brandishing the club of sausage like a sword. "Al watch the house and don't eat it while I'm gone."

Al spluttered at the accusation indigently. "I'm not that bad!" he finally got out.

"You look like Ed on his eighth birthday." She said flatty, turning around again and marching off purposely in search of the two missing amputees.

An aura of depression surrounded the youngest Elric as he sat on the kitchen floor clutching a block of cheese to his formerly boney chest. "That bad?"

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><p>Ed sat on the edge of a bridge, the same bridge he used to walk home on, back in elementary school, looking out across the dinky stream as the sun descended on the horizon. Den's ears perked up the dog bolting to her feet from where she'd been basking in the sun and ran off in the exact opposite direction of the Rockbell house.<p>

"Shit," Ed cursed swinging his legs over the bridge's edge and taking off after the dog, "Den get back here!" Ed had always been proud of the extra endurance his automail allowed him, but four legs were still better than two and Den also had the additional perk of automail, making Ed's advantage obsolete. "Damnit Den, get back here!" he yelled angrily at eh little black spot he could barely make out in the distance.

The run was nothing; he'd had way more intense work outs, so he wasn't really paying attention to where he was running, which was his first mistake. His second was not checking his path when his boot came in contact with a rock. Which led to Ed running right off the ledge of that dinky little stream, and half a second later his momentum brought him into the muddy water.

In good grace the ex-alchemist proceeded to sulk, soaked and covered in liquid mud.

A bark distracted Ed from his pity party, drawing a glare toward the black and white dog with a metal leg. Den's tail wagged happily, completely unaffected by Edward's stare, she turned his head and barked twice, causing a suspicious lump to form in Ed's stomach. Looking down at his left leg which was just as thoroughly drenched as the rest of him, Ed went on a mental tirade, the central theme of which consisted of 'Winry's gonna kill me!'

Ed's suspicions proved true as a feminine figure in a black tube top that hugged her generous chest and the bottom half of a purple jumpsuit tied around her waist came into view, her blond hair falling forward to frame her face as she leaned over the edge of the stream. Internally Ed whimpered.

"Den wh-?" Winry's eyes widened as she caught sight of Ed, sitting in the river and covered in mud, Ed cringed in anticipation.

"Ed?" Winry said, voice much too calm and quiet. "Why are you sitting in creak?" Her bangs fell to shadow her eyes but the subtle shaking of her well-muscled arms and shoulders gave her current temperament away.

Shooting to his feet Ed tried frantically to explain, "Calm down Win, look, see, I'm getting out." He moved to do just that, dreading the shout or wrench he knew would be coming in a matter of moments.

Just as he reached the shore line and climbed out of the stream, his mechanic blew, "What the hell are you doing with my automail!" Suddenly feeling much smaller than even Mustang made him out to be, Ed suppressed a whimper at rage standing before him. "Mud, Ed? You just had to go swimming in mud!" Ed would have sworn he could see flames surrounding her figure, he knew they would be in her eyes if he looked. "Do you want to rust? Here I was worrying about you and you're out here ruining my beautiful automail!" During her tirade Winry had advanced on Ed until he was forced to look down at her towering presence. He reached to catch her hand before she could go for her wrench, Winry was faster. Seemingly from nowhere Winry produced her faithful weapon and in the same motion brought it down on Ed's forehead. As he spun twice comically back into the stream Ed hardly recognized the feeling of homecoming that came with the wrench-induced welt.

He hit the ground with a splat, recoating himself in mud. "Nice Winry real nice." He yelled up at her, gesturing to his newly mud-coated figure.

Winry opened her mouth to respond, most likely to yell, but was propelled forward, into the air over the stream. Having realized what was happening before Winry did, Ed rushed the two steps to catch her, however the terrain caused them both to slip, Winry landing atop Ed, hard.

"Ow," they said simultaneously; Ed from having Winry dumped harshly into his lap and Winry from the metal knee ramming into her back. Above them Den snickered.

Blue and gold eyes locked together and they spoke in semi-unison, "Never happened."

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><p>When the pair returned home that evening the sun had already set. They crossed the threshold muddy and wet, both in equally bad moods. Al had to refrain from laughing at the sight of them, "What happened to you two?"<p>

Edward and Winry exchanged glances, "Nothing!" They snapped, heading off to their respective rooms immensely thankful that the house had two bathrooms.

Den pristine and clean trotted up to Al and demanded an ear rub. There had never been a dog smugger. After all nothing made a dog happier than having all his masters truly home.

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><p>AN: As I said at the beginning of the chapter I have a request for all you readers, as I am planning o continuing this story I've also decided to ask for your help, along with my random sparks of inspiration I thought I'd try my hand at prompted writing which is where you all come in; give me a word or theme whatever you want to see Ed, Winry, Al and the rest of the Fullmetal gang do in this story and I'll spin it into a chapter. I'll you have to do is…REVIEW.(or PM me).<p> 


	3. Standstill

AN: I have nothing to say until end notes.

Disclaimer: The Elrics nor the Rockbells are mine in any way, unfortunately I was born several centuries too late and on the wrong side of the gate for that privilege.

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Moving Forward

Chapter 3 Standstill

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It struck her as odd somehow, the way they could all just slip back into the patterns and habits of their youth after so long. If one didn't look too close they would never have guessed anything had changed in the past six years, except Ed's height of course; he never missed a chance to draw attention to his significant increase in vertical size. Through the kitchen window Winry watched as the two brothers Elric sparred. Nearly a month had passed since they'd come home, Al back in his body and Ed with two mismatching flesh arms. Both brothers had made remarkable progress in getting their bodies back into peak condition; Alphonse had gained substantial weight thanks to his glutinous eating and his ribs no longer showed when he stretched, and Ed's right arm was developing hardened muscles so the appendage no longer looked like it belonged on less muscular man.

Over the course of their recovery the past few weeks Winry had noticed Edward glaring at that arm, grumbling about how he was 'uneven' and 'too light'. As prideful as she was Winry couldn't help secretly relishing the fact that he missed her automail, and that he had no desire to get rid of his automail leg. Yeah, she was selfish, she'd never admit it out loud though.

Winry continued to observe them fondly through the glass. Al used both his arms to defend himself from his brother's rapid kicks and Ed traipsed around like,… a monkey, there was no other way to describe the quick movements and flips, the darting attacks were too primal to be anything else. With ease Al grabbed his brother's foot as it approached using the boy's momentum against him and tossing him back. Ed landed on his feet and darted to the left attacking again without hesitation. No, things hadn't changed, they hadn't even changed their fighting styles, they were using the same tactics they'd practiced all through childhood; a long memorized dance of mock-violence playing out before her eyes. With a last fond smile at the scene Winry returned to her workroom; there were blueprints to perfect.

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Later that day the four occupants of the Rockbell house sat down for their evening meal. Granny had insisted both boys shower before stepping foot in her kitchen. So the Elrics sat at the table with dripping wet hair, both boys shoveling obnoxious amounts of food into their mouths with the two Rockbell women smiling indulgently.

Winry set down a homemade knish in the center of the table, Al dived for it, Ed only a second behind. The brother's glared at each other briefly as the squabbled over the dish before Edward smirked and loosened his grip ever so slightly, allowing Al the opportunity to claim the dish with little trouble. Yeah, still the same. As Alphosnse practically inhaled his knish Ed polished off his dinner, leaving his plate sparkling. He leaned back with a heavy sigh of contentment, stomach bulging slightly, "Ah, I'm stuffed."

With a devious smile Winry eyed the one thing left devoured in front of Ed; yep, some things never did change. "Ed, you didn't drink your milk."

The Elric being targeted stiffened, his antennae-like piece of hair standing at sudden attention, sweat beading at his temples at the accusations attached to that statement and the fight that was bound to follow. "Didn't wanna." He grumbled through pursed lips.

Exuberantly and with an excess of exasperation she knew the situation didn't merit, Winry threw her hands into the air, "This is why it took you so long to grow a whole six measly centimeters."

The colic atop Ed's head twitched as the former alchemist bristled, Al and Granny watched in amusement as the two spat insults and glared fire at each other over the untouched bottle of 'cow juice'. Exchanging tolerating glances Pinako and Alphonse agreed silently; some things never changed. Ed and Winry would always fight about the most trivial of things; it was an unspoken rule, a law really, just as sure as equivalent exchange. With impossible speed Winry's wrench was free of its hiding place and making a dent in Ed's cranium the chair he had been sitting in falling back to the ground with a loud slamming of wood on wood. Back on his feet within a moment Ed leveled his glare at the fuming blond mechanic, she met his glare with equal fire. Neither would give nor blink.

Simultaneously their eyes flicked to each other's lips, hardly a visible moment passed, but Al saw. He saw the flicker of his brother's gaze the intense heat in both their eyes, the tangible tension between the two; it made him kind of uncomfortable. Yeah, Al thought, things _did_ change. Wasn't the whole point of alchemy to take something that did exist and shape it, transform it into something new? As true as that concept was, people were different, Al observed as he watched the pair, with people things didn't really change; they grew and stretched and distorted and rearranged themselves, but they never really changed. He supposed that was balance, a balance like equivalent exchange, but every rule had an exception, Al couldn't help but wonder when Ed and Winry would notice the one they were on the cusp of.

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Short but I like it. Next chapter is all about Perserving.


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